Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-05-27
CHAPTER TX.

Shortly after the old Boer had gone, John
went into the yard of the hotel to see to the
inspanEing of the Cape cart when his atten.
ton was at once arrested by the sight of a
| row i'll active progress-at least, from the
crowd of Kaiirs and oilers and the angry
sounds and curses that proceeded from them,
| he judged that it was a row. Nor was he
wrong about it. In the corner of the yard.
close ly the stable door, surrounded by the
aforesaid crowd, stood Frank Muller, a heavy
sjambock in his raised hand above his head.
as though in the act to strike. Before him, a
very picture of drunken fury, his lips drawn
up like snarling dogs so that the two lines
OF his white teeth CLEANED like polished ivory
in the sunlight, his small eyes all shot with
blood, and his face working convulsivey, was
the Hottentot Jantje. Nor was this all.
Across ms face was blue wheal where the
whip had fallen, and in his hand heavy
white handled knife which he always carried.
"Hullo! what is all thisf" said John shout
dering his way through the crowd.
'The swartsel BLACK creature) has stolen
my horses forage and given it to yoursl'
shouted Muller, who was evidently almost off
his head with rage, making an attempt to hit
Jantje with the whip as he spoke. The latter
avoided the blow by jumping behind John,
with the result that the tip of the siambock
caught the Englshman on the leg
"Be careful, sir, with that whip " said John
to Muller, restraining his temper with diff
Guilty. "Now, how do you know that the
man stole your horses forage, and what bust
ness have you to touch himl If there was
anything wrong you should have reported it
to me-"
HE lies, baas, he liesl" yelled the Hotten-
tot in tremulous, high pitched tones. "He
lies; he has always been liar, and worse
than liar. Yah! yah! l can tell things
about him. The land is English now, and the
Boers can't kill the black people as they like.
That man-that Boer, Muller, he shot my
father and my mother-my father first, then
my mother; he gave her two bullets-she did
not die the first time"
You yellow devil! You black skinned,
black hearted lying son of Satan" roared
the great Boer, his very beard curling with
fury. as that the way you talk to your
masters! Out of the light, roobaatje" sol
dier) this was to John-"and | will cut his
tongue out of him. I'll show him how we
deal with yellow liar;' and without further
ado he made rush for the Hottentot As he
came, John, whose blood was now thoroughly
up, put out his open hand and bending for
ward pushed with all his strength on Mullers
advancing chest John was very power
fully made man, though not very large
one, and the push sent Muller staggering
back.
"What doyou mean by that, rooibaatje"
shouted Muller, his face livid with fury
sect out of my road or 1 will mark that
pretty face of yours. / have some goods to
pay you for as it is, Englishman, and l
always pay my debts. Out of the path, curse
you!" and he again rushed for the Hottentot
This time John, who was now almost as
angry as his assaiant, did not wait for him
to reach him, but springing forward, hooked
his arm around Muller's throat, and before
he could close with him with one tremendous
jerk managed not only to stop his wild career,
but to reverse the motion, and them by inter
posing his foot with considerable neatness, to
land him, powerful man as he was, on his
back in pool of drainage that had collected
from the stable in the hollow of the inn yard
Down he went with a splash and amid a